I'm back with a peace offering: Double Choc Chip Cookies

Oh why hello! Remember me?

My friends, the tumbleweeds have been a-blowin', the cicadas chirping... yep, things have been quiet in the land of Citrus and Candy. This last month of summer has been busier than expected but no complaints here, as it has been a blast. Amongst a million of other things I had going on, February also saw a wedding, The Captain's birthday, Chinese New Year, a lot of social reunions and one unforgettable Monday where I finally saw my all-time favourite rock gods AC/DC live (and it remains the best night I've ever had!).

But that meant the posts have been neglected and more tragically, the oven has been gathering dust. Seriously I haven't cooked or baked anything since Chinese New Year and the guilt was a heavy burden. Sadly, I'm still in no mood to reconnect with my kitchen yet but we all need to start somewhere - if only to make use of my baking supplies, which are in danger of expiring!

My aim is to ease back into the kitchen slowly. With the end-of-summer depression settling in and the onset of autumn weather, I craved for simplicity, comfort and something chocolatey.

Melty chocolate, fudgy cookie and chewy raisins? Oh my!

Cookies remain one of those comforting foods that I always turn to in the hour of need whether as a quick sugar hit or to fuel me up when I'm working...and always with a glass of milk! Plain chocolate cookies are my favourite kind but there certainly isn't anything wrong with adding a handful of melty choc chips and chewy raisins is there? It's not fancy or complicated but my lazy hands and non-baking mood certainly aren't complaining. In any case, take these as my peace offering for my long and unexplained absence from the blogosphere and rest assured that I'll be roaring back soon enough. After all... there are still kilos of chocolate just begging to be baked.

Double Choc-Chip Cookies

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
250g brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
150g plain flour
35g self-raising flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
35g cocoa powder
135g milk chocolate chips
110g dark chocolate chips
85g sultanas or raisins (purely optional but I love it in these cookies - replace them with more choc chips if you wish)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and lightly grease two baking trays (or line with baking paper/silicon mat).

With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and egg until combined and smooth. Take care not to overbeat.

Sift in the flours, bi-carb soda and cocoa powder and add the chocolate chips and raisin and mix until evenly combined.

Place level tablespoons of the batter onto baking trays, allowing for 5cm between and bake for 10 minutes (bake for another 2 minutes if you prefer a crunchier cookie). Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 45 cookies.